"Maybe I tried too hard and put too much pressure on myself": Van Gerwen gutted after not delivering for Rotterdam fans

In front of an adoring Dutch crowd on week 12 of the Premier League Darts in Rotterdam, Michael van Gerwen was unable to live up to the billing and suffered a first round exit courtesy of Nathan Aspinall. Now, the Dutchman has taken to Twitter to reveal his disappointment.

Averaging just 91.21 in a 6-5 quarter-final defeat to the Asp, who eventually went on to win the whole night, wasn't what van Gerwen or a packed out Rotterdam Ahoy had wished for. According to Mighty Mike himself, the pressure of wanting to put on a performance in front of such a partisan crowd may have been too much to handle.

"Absolutely gutted to play like that and here of all places," van Gerwen said in a post on his official Twitter account. "Maybe I tried to hard and put too much pressure on myself."

"The fans were phenomenal tonight," MVG continues. "I'm sorry it didn't happen. Well done to Nathan Aspinall on the victory."